CMS Chair calls out Government’s response on Taliban’s ban of women cricketers

• Read the letter, published today
• Read the initial letter from the Committee, dated 20 January
• Culture, Media, and Sport Committee

The CMS Secretary’s letter comes in response to the Committee’s letter to her, dated 20 January. The Committee raised concerns of the “erasure” of women’s rights under the Taliban, and failure of international sporting bodies such as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and FIFA to formally recognise the Afghanistan women’s teams whilst allowing Taliban-backed men’s teams to play in international sporting events. The Committee’s letter called on Ms Nandy to answer the following questions: 

• In what circumstances would the Government support a boycott by our teams due to be playing Taliban-backed athletes? 

• Will the Government make representations to the ICC, FIFA and International Olympics Committee to find a consistent solution that upholds the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan? 

• What plans does the Government have to use the convening power of sport to bring a coalition of nations together for a coordinated approach on this matter? 

In her response, Ms Nandy said the Government stands by its position that it would not support a boycott, and that it is for the English and Welsh Cricket Board and FA to engage with their international counterparts. She writes:  

“While we appreciate that boycotts can be a powerful symbolic tool and recognise the importance of focusing on human rights issues in sport, we believe sport boycotts to be counter-productive as they penalise our hard-working athletes. They are not the people we should be penalising for the Taliban’s appalling actions against women and girls.” 

However, Ms Nandy states that the Government is “considering the full range of levers at [its] disposal”, and that the ICC should “provide an explanation as to why they are not adhering to their own membership rules”. 

Chair comment

CMS Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage MP said: 

“We thank the Secretary of State for her engagement, and agree that boycotts are a blunt tool, however she refers to a ‘full range of levers’, but what are these and what meaningful difference will they make? There must come a point at which our government joins with other democracies that stand up for the rights of women and girls, and say to the ICC and other sporting bodies – “you either obey your own rules on gender equality and let Afghan women play, or you obey the Taliban’.”

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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